Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Sign Here, Battle Mage! (4)
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The king's hunting dogs, the Hounds.
Soldiers who swear lifelong loyalty to the royal family undergo training from childhood. Their education differs from that of knights. There is no honor. No pride. They learn only the skills needed to kill.
Throwing weapons, stealth, disguise, infiltration.
They master techniques knights would never touch. They handle hidden blades more often than swords. They carry out tasks knights cannot. Mostly dirty ones. Ones that are filthy, yet practical.
Those who endure such bone-grinding training become exemplary soldiers. They handle the shady missions knights avoid. Assassinations and tailing, for instance. Their operational capabilities are astonishing.
Masters of close-quarters combat.
Nemeses of mages.
The Hounds, the king's hunting dogs, have no pride, but they have confidence in their skills. Even if they couldn't match sword superhumans, they believed they could hold their own against mage superhumans when grouped together.
"Those eyes."
And now.
"Blessed by the stars."
The Hounds realize it was all an illusion.
The madman, Kelrhalim.
The ancient superhuman's voice rumbles low. A faint anger simmers within it. The madman reveals his emotions. This is the situation the Hounds dread most.
'When the madman shows emotion, suppress him immediately. Rush in, fit the mana-suppressing magic tool, and hold out until he regains his senses.'
They had received those orders long ago.
Following orders is the virtue of a fine soldier. But in this moment, not a single Hound can even think to obey.
"One."
The air grows heavy.
It squeezes their throats. A grinding screech echoes from their equipped magic tools malfunctioning.
"I'll warn you."
Kelrhalim reaches out his hand.
They know they must block it, but the Hounds feel as if their feet are rooted to the ground. It's the terror of facing a beast. Cold sweat trickles down their spines.
And that moment.
Someone kicks off the ground with a sharp thud.
One of the Hounds hidden in the bushes and building crevices leaps toward the madman. Even in the crushing air, his movement shows no hesitation.
Tracker, Kalt.
Not a Hound forged through trainee years, but a battlefield soldier promoted for his merits. He differs from the others. Having survived encounters with the Four Calamities, he feels no fear from this pressure.
Thus, Kalt's movements are fluid.
With a swish, he draws a dagger from his waist.
Hidden in the long coat's sleeve, he silently kicks off the ground. He closes in on the madman. And Kalt is not the only one moving.
"Hey."
No one knows when or from where she approached.
From a blind spot in their vision, or beyond perception. She snatches Kelrhalim's hand.
"What are you doing?"
Ash-gray hair flutters.
Blue eyes gleam in a girl radiating an aura even fiercer than the madman's.
Whoosh!
The mana crushing the surroundings scatters in an instant. Only then do the Hounds begin to move belatedly. The king's hunting dogs share one question.
Who the hell is that girl?
2.
"What are you doing?"
Raniel glared at Kelrhalim, eyes wide. She knew he hated the stars. That's why she'd felt an ominous premonition when the star-blessed Resti was near the madman.
But it was just a feeling, nothing more.
Even called a madman, Kelrhalim acted by strict principles.
So she'd planned to keep her distance and observe.
Until just before he showed emotion.
「Those eyes.」
「Blessed by the stars.」
Clear emotion laced his voice.
Anger. The emotion he'd buried deepest, the only one left to him. And him revealing it was no good thing. Far from it.
'Shake of the restraint.'
Emotion in his voice shook the restraint.
As the restraint loosened, mana leaked out, seizing the air around them. In that instant, Raniel had kicked off the ground and charged.
"Are you insane?"
Strength enters her grip on his wrist. Even for Raniel, this was an unforeseen situation.
'Why suddenly?'
Reacting to the star blessing?
No, that wasn't it.
She'd already told him there were several star-blessed individuals. The madman hadn't shown any emotional disturbance at the fact.
Besides, Kelrhalim had cooperated with heroes on operations multiple times, even while hating the stars.
That's the kind of man Kelrhalim was.
A man who understood his own madness and took utmost care to control it above all else.
'So why now, of all times?'
Raniel felt confusion bordering on bewilderment.
"What the hell are you pulling?"
"......"
Kelrhalim fell silent at Raniel's question.
He looked at Raniel gripping his wrist, then at Resti seated opposite him. Resti was terrified.
"...Hoo."
Kelrhalim exhaled shortly.
The leaking mana vanished, and the flickering flame beyond his ash-gray eyes died down. Having rebound his restraint tighter, Kelrhalim shot Raniel a glare.
"...Sorry."
He said.
"I complicated the situation."
"...Tch."
Raniel clicked her tongue briefly.
The surroundings were in uproar. Many students watched this place. Their murmurs swirled in Raniel's ears. Plenty of eyes were on them.
-What happened?
-No idea, suddenly from everywhere...
-Who are all those people?
-Why are Professors Lertia and Lania...
Hounds hidden in bushes, on building rooftops, in crevices—all revealed themselves in an instant. Every one aimed weapons at Kelrhalim.
"...My apologies."
A small voice reached only Raniel's ear. It was Kalt, standing behind Kelrhalim. Even in the urgent situation, Kalt had approached silently with weapon hidden and presence erased... but the other Hounds hadn't.
Their breathing was ragged.
Aware of their momentary panic and delayed response, they'd forgotten composure and broken protocol.
As a result, all eyes turned to them. The students' murmurs grew louder. Not a good situation. Raniel grimaced and muttered to Kalt.
"...Cover it appropriately."
Kalt nodded and stepped back.
He gestured to the Hounds while looking at them.
"Stand down."
He said in a chilling voice.
"The honored guest is unharmed. It seems the professor here misunderstood briefly."
Raniel released Kelrhalim's wrist. Kelrhalim rubbed his wrist and chimed in appropriately.
"I acted in a way that allowed misunderstanding. I apologize."
Improvised words were exchanged.
The students watched with intrigued gazes. The Hounds who'd gathered to subdue Kelrhalim now seamlessly switched to his escorts.
"Are you alright?"
"No issue. Just..."
Kelrhalim replied to Kalt's question.
"This professor seems to have more to say to me."
"Shall I guide you to a private reception room..."
"No need."
Raniel cut Kalt off.
She slipped her fingers between her glove and wrist, then yanked it off roughly.
Thud!
Raniel's glove slammed onto the table. It was like a signal. Kalt's pupils shook. Kelrhalim's eyes narrowed.
"Duel."
Raniel stated flatly.
"You won't refuse."
With students' eyes fixed on her, Raniel proposed a duel. Cold sweat ran down Kalt's back. He'd refuse, of course? Thinking that, Kalt glanced at Kelrhalim, but...
"...I accept."
Kelrhalim accepted the duel.
Kalt felt his mind reel.
3.
"Senior, have you lost your mind?"
"You've been talking pretty boldly lately, huh?"
"No, senior. Didn't you click your tongue and say 'cover it appropriately'?"
"I did."
"And we did! The situation was cleanly smoothed over! Like it never happened! We even let on he's a VIP to keep students back a bit!"
Wasn't the picture perfect?!
Kalt screamed right in my ear. I grimaced and plugged my ears. Of course, that didn't block the sound.
"A duel, though."
Kalt's eyes bulged.
"A duel with the madman. And declaring it in front of students means you're planning to do it inside Aphria, right? I believe—I really do—that you won't."
"We will."
"Uwaaaaaah!"
In a forest a short distance from Aphria, as Kalt screamed and tore at his hair... I sat on a tree stump, propping my chin.
"...Hoo."
Finally calming, Kalt caught his breath and looked at me again, questioning.
"Why didn't Kelrhalim refuse?"
"Because it's the contract."
"Pardon?"
"One of the conditions when he entered Aphria. If the restraint ever shakes, even slightly, he'll accept my proposals as long as they don't violate principles."
I muttered, chin propped.
"I thought about just kicking him out like this, but he wouldn't go for that."
"...What do you mean?"
"Didn't you see his eyes? Something's up. Telling him to leave now wouldn't work... and the situation's iffy anyway."
He had a target.
Some scheme.
"So, I'm checking it out while we're at it."
"Checking what?"
"His purpose here. And what he's after."
"How do you check that with a duel?"
There are ways. I held back words, clenching and unclenching my fist repeatedly. Lately, it felt like I was clashing with superhumans more often.
"......"
Glancing over, Kalt stared at me with a complicated gaze. His face screamed swirling thoughts. Well, from his perspective, things had gotten messy.
"I won't fight to kill, so don't worry."
"...Pardon?"
"You think I'd blast top-tier spells on campus grounds? We'll stick to basics at most. Exchange fundamentals. We'll set restraints beforehand."
"...What's the point of a showy duel like that?"
"There is one, that's why."
Kalt still eyed me dubiously. I sighed and continued vaguely.
"This is knowledge you wouldn't know, so explaining's pointless... but I'll dumb it down as much as possible."
I wiggled a finger.
Mana flickered up from it, rippling.
"I'll get close and read the flows. While clashing, I'll peek at the info engraved on the chains binding his body."
"...Read?"
"Think of Kelrhalim as a well-made machine. He moves by 'commands' input into the chains binding him. I'll read every command."
I'd done it once before.
The difference? Back then, it was against Kelrhalim with all restraints fully released.
"Confirm the differences from what I saw before, and his target will pop right out."
"Hmm..."
"No point explaining more—you wouldn't get it. Want me to lecture on reading circuit patterns here? Wanna try it yourself?"
Kalt shook his head.
"No, it just feels like there's another motive. Right, senior?"
"...No."
"...Guess there is."
"There isn't."
"If not, why declare the duel so openly in front of the students? You could've quietly retreated and dueled here in the woods."
"Tch."
I clicked my tongue briefly.
'Damn, this guy's sharp.'
I fell silent.
Kalt sent more suspicious glances. I turned my head slightly. Kalt's eyes narrowed.
"Senior."
"...What."
"Just a hunch."
"No."
"I haven't said it yet."
"Anyway, no."
It wasn't some shady desire to demonstrate the 'superiority' of Battle Mages over wizards in front of the students. Absolutely not.
"Showing the kids will help them too."
Even if just basics, roots dwell in the fundamentals. A clash of basics alone would teach just by watching.
"Might as well show the kids since we have to duel anyway. You wouldn't know, but I've been doing special lectures lately? And what we cover there is..."
I spun excuses every which way. After hearing me out, Kalt sighed as if the ground would cave in.
"If you say so, senior..."
"Yeah."
"But you have to lose."
"...What?"
My eyes bulged.
Kalt replied indifferently.
"Plenty of eyes, like you said. You gonna advertise you're the Ashen Mage in front of the Hounds?"
"...No, that's."
"Win against a superhuman, and there's no denying it. Didn't one disciple already catch on that way?"
Kalt stated flatly.
"Just lose moderately."
"......"
"Your goal's reading those restraint commands or whatever, right? Win or lose doesn't matter then."
Straight talk.
"Or is there another purpose?"
Kalt eyed me.
I muttered weakly.
"...No, nothing... I planned to lose anyway..."
"Well, you must have your reasons, senior. Looks like I overstepped."
"Yeah..."